Combined stalk-cutter and rake



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. T. BOYKIN. COMBINED STALK GUTTER AND RAKE.

No. 406,082. Patented July 2, 1889.

fly M %ttorney (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. T. BOYKIN.

COMBINED STALK CUTTER AND RAKE.

No. 406,082. Patented July 2,- 1889.

WITNESSES IJV'V'EJV'TOR (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. T'. BOYKIN. COMBINED STALK CUTTER AND RAKE.

No. 406.082. Patented July 2, 1889.

WITNESSES IJVVEW'TOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARUIIABLE T. BOYKIN, OF ()DEN, TEXAS.

COMBINED STALK-CUTTER AND RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,082, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed September 3, 1888. Serial No. 284,500. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ARCHABLE T. BOYKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oden, in the county of Leon and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Stalk-Cutter and Bake; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make'and use the same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereomwhich form a part of this specification.

My invention is a stalk-cutter and rake; and it consists in the parts which will be hereiuafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view. Fig. is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stalk-cutter.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The letters A 15 represents two parallel pieces constituting the sides of the main frame, and 0 indicates a front cross-piece uniting the side pieces A 13.

D is the tongue suit-ably secured to the front piece 0.

a a are two standards secured to and extending upwardly from the frame-pieces A 13, respectively. Secured to the forward ends, respectively, of said frame-pieces A 13 are two rearwardlydnclined pieces I) l).

E represents a seat-board mounted on the upper ends of the standards a a and inclined pieces Z) Z).

E represents the drivers seat.

F F indicate two sidepieces, and F a crosspiece. Said pieces F F constitute a movable frame. The inner sides of the main framepieces A B are grooved for the reception of the side pieces F F of the movable frame aforesaid. The inner sides of the standards a a are grooved or recessed for the reception of the side pieces of said movable frame. The journals of the revoluble stalk cutter are mounted within the said side pieces. This frame and cutter may be raisedavhen desired,

by means of a chain or cord (1. The lower end of this cord is engaged to the cross-piece of the movable frame and the upper end of said cord is engaged to a block or drum. Said drum is provided with an end journal, and it is mounted by means of its journal to the side of the drivers seat. The upper end of the cord aforesaid is secured to said drum, the drum being provided with a handle (Z. By turning the handle (1 the drum is turned, the cord wound thereon, and the movable frame and cutter elevated. A segmental rack (Z is secured to the upper side of the seat, and said rack engages with the handle (1, so to hold the frame and its cutter in an elevated position, when desired.

The frame of the cutter is in the form of a double cross G G. These crosses face each other, and the outer ends or arms are provided with cross-blades g g g g. The ends of the blades are engaged to the ends of the crossfranie, respectively. The respective end of each blade is bent at right angles to the body, and these bent ends or arms are in turn bout, the outer or extreme ends being threaded. These threaded ends pass through openings in the outer ends of the cross-arms. The threaded ends of the blade-arms are provided with nuts, whereby they are firmly seeured to the outer ends of the cross-arms.

II II represent the main wheels of the dd vice. The main frame-pieces A 13 are provided with laterally-extending journals 11.71,

upon which the wheels II II are mounted.

Rigidly secured to the inner side of the wheel II is a sproclmtwheel ll II is a smaller sprocket-wheel mounted on the outer end of one of the cutter-framejournals or shafts h". An endless sprocket-chaih I is engaged to the two sprocket-wheels aforesaid. The journal h and its companion journal h." are rigidly united to the cutter-frame. It will thus be seen that when the machineis moved forward the main wheels will turn on their journals, the sprocket-wheels ll if rctated, and a rotary movement imparted to the cutter-frame and its blades through the medium of the shaft 71 h J represents a rotary rake provided with end journals J J The journals aremounted in the rear ends of the main frame. These journals are rigidly united to the outer ends of a beam J which beam is the body of the rake. The teeth of the rake J are formed by a series of rods, all secured in the same plane to the beam J These rods pass through openings in the beam and extend diametrically outward in both directions an equal distance. The outer end of the right-hand journal J 2 extends outward beyond the framepiece in which it is mounted, and it is provided with a straight arm K, said straight arm being rigidly united in its center to said journa L represents a sliding bar suitably mounted on the side of the side frame-piece A. The rear end of the sliding bar L is provided with a downwardly-extending foot-piece L.

M represents an upwardly-extending lever having its lower end pivoted to the framepiece B. Said lever is engaged above its pivotal point to the forward end of the sliding bar L. A suitable catch Z is fixed to the side of the inclined right-hand standard, so as to engage and hold the lever and its sliding bar forward when it is desired to permit the rake to rotate freely. By means of said lever the operator is enabled to actuate the sliding bar by hand.

The automatic means for releasing and locking the rake will now be described.

A central cross-piece O has its ends fixed to the frame-pieces A B.

P represents a rod or rock-shaft mounted on the upper side of the cross-piece 0, each shaft and cross-piece lying in parallel planes. This shaft is mounted so as to turn freely, and its inner end is bent backward at right angles to its body, the outer end of the rear piece being Z-shaped. Said outer end or Z is provided with a weight P. The long arm or base of the Z is provided wit-h a rear continuation or rod P The outer or side end of the shaft P is provided with a crank P which is suitably engaged to the sliding bar aforesaid.

Q Q represent loops fixed on opposite sides of the rake-beam and extending outwardly in the same plane with the rake-teeth.

R represents a spring-actuated rod secured to the inner side of the main frame-piece A. This rod extends rearwardly, and its outer end lies under the flat surface of the rakebeam and presses upward, so as to normally hold the rake-teeth in a vertical position.

The operation is as follows: When the rake is in a Vertical position and locked, by means of its arms beingin engagement with the rear end of the sliding bar, the weighted end of the Z-sl1aped rod is down. Then as the machine is drawn forward stalks accumulate in front of the rake under the Z-shaped arm and its rod P As the quantity of stalks increase the Z-shaped arm is elevated. The elevation of this arm turns the shaft P and its crank P This'crank in turn actuates the sliding or locking bar L, moving it forward away from the locking-arm on the outer end of the rake journal. This action releases the rake, and

the rake is released and the bundle dropped the weighted arm is held in an elevated position and the sliding bar prevented from moving by means of the foot piece L. The outer face of the foot-piece L is curved in the arc of a circle, and the outer end of the lockingarm on the rake must pass through or over this are before the weight of its rock-shaft and crank-rod can move the sliding bar back into a locking position. By this arrangement the weight remains elevated until one of the loops on the rake beam or bodyis moved below the upper end of the Z-shaped weighted rod. Then the weight and rod descend, the weight engaging the loop, turning the rake into position, the crank-rod at the same time moving the rear end of the sliding bar into the path of the revoluble locking-arm on the rake, so as to engage and lock the parts for the next operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, with the main frame, the seat, a rotary stalkrcutter, and the frame therefor, of the drum journaled to the seat and provided with a handle, a cord attached at one end to said drum and at the other to the cutter-frame, and a segmental rack on the seat engaging said handle, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a main frame, of

with an arm fixed thereto, a sliding bar, a.

rock-shaft provided on one end with a crank in engagement with the sliding bar and provided on the other end with a right-angled weighted extension, said weighted extension lying in front of the path of the rake, the sliding bar being movable in and out of the path of the arm aforesaid, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a main frame, of a rotary rake journaled therein, the outer end of one of the rake-journals being provided with an arm fixed thereto, a sliding bar having a downwardly-extending front piece on its rear end, as specified, a rock-shaft provided on one end with a crank in engagement with the sliding bar aforesaid, the other end of said shaft being provided with a rightangled rearwardly-extending weighted arm, the sliding bar being movable in and out of the path of the sliding bar aforesaid, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a main frame, of

a rotary rake journaled therein, the outer end of one of the rake-journals being provided with an arm fixed thereto, a sliding bar having a downwardly-extending front piece 011 its rear end, as specified, a rock-shaft provided on one end with a crank in engagement with the sliding bar aforesaid, the other end of said shaft being provided with a rightangled rearwardly-extending weighted arm, the sliding bar being movable in and out of the path of the sliding bar aforesaid, the rake being provided with loops, the rotary path of said loops lying in the path of the Weighted arm aforesaid, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the main frame, of a rotary rake, means for alternately retarding the movement of the rake and releasing the same, and a spring-actuated rod R, attached to the inner side of the main frame,

with one end bearing 011 the under side of the rake-beam for supporting the rake, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

7. 111 a device for the purpose described, a rotary stalk-cutter, consisting of a frame in the form of a double cross, and cross-blades on the outer ends of said crosses, said blades being formed with their ends bent at right angles to the length of the body of the blade, and said ends being in turn bent and screwthreaded and screwed into the face of the arms of the crosses, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AROHABLE 'l. BOYKIN.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM WHITLEY, A. J. BARNETT. 

